As the intensity of trade discussions increases, here’s an interesting notion to consider:

The low-revenue Padres could add a pricey veteran hitter such as White Sox right fielder Carlos Quentin.

Quentin, 29, is highly available as he enters his final season before hitting the open market. The Padres can’t afford free-agent hitters, not that many would even want to play at pitcher-friendly Petco Park. So, trades are the only way for them to fix an offense that last season ranked next-to-last in runs in the National League.

And the Pads, for a change, actually have a measure of payroll flexibility.

Team CEO Jeff Moorad has said that the team will increase its payroll from $45 million to more than $50 million. Three departing free agents — closer Heath Bell, right-hander Aaron Harang and outfielder Ryan Ludwick — earned nearly $18 combined last season.

A number of Padres are arbitration-eligible and will require raises. But the Pads demonstrated their relative flexibility in the Huston Street trade, assuming $7 million of the closer’s remaining $7.5 million obligation.

Street took Bell’s salary slot. The Padres likely will rely on younger pitchers rather than sign a free agent to replace Harang, who earned $3.5 million last season. But they need to replace Ludwick, who earned $6.755 million.

Enter Quentin, who likely will receive between — you guessed it — $6.5 million and $7 million in arbitration.

Quentin grew up in San Diego. Padres GM Josh Byrnes and assistant GM A.J. Hinch are familiar with him from their days together with the Diamondbacks. The fit would be almost perfect, provided the Padres and White Sox could agree on the return.

The Rockies working to finalize the contract with free-agent outfielder Michael Cuddyer on Friday was the latest in what figures to be a continuing series of moves by the team that are inter-related with the idea of improving multiple areas of the team without a major payroll increase.

It’s all part of a plan the Rockies drew up in September and has slowly unfolded this offseason, allowing fans to start to understand the moves that were made in the last month.

The right-handed-hitting Cuddyer is expected to primarily play right field, having a strong enough arm that the Rockies can afford to move Carlos Gonzalez back to left-field, where his excellent range is a key factor in the open left field space at Coors Field. Cuddyer also provides a right-handed-hitting back up at first base, and could move into the first base role in the final part of a three-year contract. Todd Helton has one year remaining on his deal.

With Cuddyer in right and Gonzalez in left, the Rockies could have a major offseason move remaining by shopping Seth Smith for a starting pitcher. Mets lefty Jonathan Niese is believed to be available in a package built around Smith.

The signing of Cuddyer was made possible because of earlier moves the Rockies made this offseason to free up payroll. Huston Street, replaced as the closer in the final months of 2011 by Rafael Betancourt, was dealt to San Diego, which picked up $7 million of Street’s $7.5 million 2012 salary.

The Rockies shipped Ian Stewart, who made $2.4 million last year, to the Chicago Cubs for second baseman D.J. LeMahieu and outfielder Tyler Colvin. LeMahieu could claim the starting second base job, and Colvin gives the Rockies a potential left-handed-hitting fourth outfielder.

They also sent Ty Wigginton to Philadelphia, which picked up $2 million of Wigginton’s $4 million 2012 salary.

The Rockies cleared $11.4 million of payroll with those moves.

They also dealt catcher Chris Iannetta to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim for right-handed pitcher Tyler Chatwood, who is not arbitration eligible. Iannetta, who will make $3.5 million in 2012, was replaced by signing free agent Ramon Hernandez to a two-year, $6.4 million deal.

The Rockies rotation is a major question mark, which is why they picked up Kevin Slowey from Minnesota and signed him to a $2.75 million deal for 2012, and why they want another veteran pitcher, such as Niese.

Jhoulys Chacin and Jason Hammel are the only healthy pitchers projected for the rotation. Juan Nicasio has looked strong during bullpen sessions in the Dominican this winter, but he is coming back from a broken neck suffered when he was hit in the face by a line drive last season, and has yet to face a hitter. If all goes well he could be in the Opening Day rotation.

Jorge De La Rosa is recovering from Tommy John surgery, but most likely won’t be ready to pitch in the big leagues until June 1.

The Rockies do have a hand full of promising arms, including Alex White and Drew Pomeranz, acquired last July from Cleveland for Ubaldo Jimenez, but it isn’t realistic to count on more than one of them being ready to step into the rotation at the start of the season.

We’ve seen two closers get traded — Sergio Santos, from the White Sox to the Blue Jays, and Huston Street, from the Rockies to the Padres.

And we’ve seen one casualty in the market: Free agent Francisco Rodriguez, who accepted salary arbitration from the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday night.

Rodriguez’s agent, Scott Boras, when asked about the game of musical chairs earlier in the evening, joked, “I only need one chair.”

Boras found one for Rodriguez in terms of dollars — K-Rod, coming off a $13.5 million salary in 2011, will receive big money on a one-year, non-guaranteed deal in arbitration.

However, K-Rod will not get the closer role he covets, continuing as a setup man for John Axford. It’s doubtful that is what Rodriguez envisioned when he changed agents last summer, going from Paul Kinzer to Boras.

Rodriguez had a chance to sign with the San Diego Padres but lost that opportunity when the team traded for Street on Wednesday, sources said. The Brewers still could seek to move K-Rod. The Braves employed that strategy when Rafael Soriano accepted arbitration two years ago; they sendt him to the Rays.

Madson, another Boras client, declined arbitration from the Phillies. Had Madson accepted, he would have been in the awkward position of setting up for Papelbon, whom the Phillies had signed as his replacement.

The Red Sox now figure to be the only club willing to meet Madson’s price. The Phillies had discussions with him about a four-year, $44 million deal. But the Sox could trade for Bailey, who is a much less expensive option as he enters his first year of arbitration.

The Athletics have far fewer teams competing for Bailey than they did at the outset of the offseason, but they’re not necessarily down to only the Red Sox and Reds.

The Texas Rangers and Los Angeles Angels are among the teams that have shown interest in Bailey. Those teams, however, would not necessarily use Bailey as a full-time closer, perhaps reducing the quality of their trade offers.

The Boston Red Sox, who lost closer Jonathan Papelbon via free agency to the Philadelphia Phillies, are in the market for a replacement.

Boston is among the many teams inquiring about Oakland Athletics closer Andrew Bailey, who is eligible for salary arbitration for the first time. The Red Sox also are keeping tabs on the trade market for Colorado's Huston Street. Ryan Madson, displaced in Philadelphia by Papelbon, is their top free-agent target.

The Red Sox, however, have not ruled out promoting setup reliever Daniel Bard to closer. The 26-year-old right-hander has a career ERA of 2.88 and 9.7 strikeouts per nine innings in three major league seasons.

Rockies closer Huston Street isn’t a free agent. But don’t be surprised if he changes teams this off-season.

The Orioles and Blue Jays are among the teams that have expressed trade interest in Street, major-league sources say.

The Mets discussed trading right-hander Mike Pelfrey for Street, but backed off, according to the New York Post.

Street, 27, is owed at least $8 million - $7.5 million next season plus a $500,00 buyout on a $9 million club option for 2013.

The free-agent market, meanwhile, is deep in closers – one of whom, Denver-area native Brad Lidge, would appeal to the Rockies if they traded Street.

The Orioles’ interest in Street stems from two factors – their desire to move right-hander Jim Johnson to the rotation and reluctance to keep righty Kevin Gregg as their closer.

The Rockies have shown past interest in right-hander Jeremy Guthrie, who will get a raise from his 2011 salary of $5.75 million in his final year of arbitration. For the Orioles to move Guthrie, they likely would need to obtain another starter in the trade or find one somewhere else.

Street had mixed results last season, finishing with the highest ERA and WHIP of his career. However, he also produced his best strikeout-to-walk ratio and converted 29 of 33 saves.

While interest from other teams in right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez has claimed the attention in Colorado the more likely trade candidates are outfielder Ryan Spilborghs and right-handed reliever Rafael Betancourt. There also have been recent inquiries about closer Huston Street.

Betancourt and Spilborghs come with a smaller price tag than Jimenez, for whom the Rockies would want an impact package of players to deal.

Spilborghs is a versatile extra outfielder, capable of playing all three outfield positions, and with a successful track record as a pinch-hitter. A potential at the end of the season, Spilborghs has less than $1 million remaining on his 2011 contract.

Betancourt is an established eighth-inning reliever, but in addition to more than $1.5 million of salary remaining for this year he is guaranteed $4 million in 2012 with a $250,000 buyout for 2013.

Street isn’t the overpowering closer, but he has converted 23 of 25 opportunities this year, and in closer terms he is reasonably priced. He has less than $3.5 million of salary remaining this year, a $7.5 million guarantee for 2012, and a $500,000 buyout on an option for 2013.

With the non-waiver period trading deadline coming in two weeks, teams are actively evaluating potentially available talents. Among the clubs with scouts in attendance at the Rockies weekend series with Milwaukee were the Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Arizona, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Texas, Detroit, Baltimore, and New York Yankees.